Life Doesn't Stand Still
by themis.ceres
Summary: Jack comes back to visit and finds things haven't been as stationary as he assumed..


**Life Doesn't Stand Still**

General Jack O'Neill has just commandeered one of the military jets set aside for various high-ranking members of the Pentagon. He really didn't make it out to Colorado as much as he would have liked but that was a sacrifice of his current job, and he had always sacrificed well for his job.

Now that the Ori have been defeated though and team Daniel and Vala have yet to find them a new enemy, he was hopeful that his trips out to the Colorado Springs would be more frequent.

* * *

><p>Rubbing his hands together Jack grinned and made his way down the long corridor that would take him to his team.<p>

"Teal'c!" The larger man yielded his progress in the middle of hallway.

"O'Neill?"

"Yeah, surprise!" He chuckled and patted his comrade heartily on his back. "How are you Teal'c?"

"I am progressing satisfactorily O'Neill. And yourself?"

"I am doing well big man." He shoved his hands into his pockets and fell into step with his old teammate.

They walked for a few minutes in silence.

Jack O'Neill though was no a man of silence. "So.. where we headed?"

Hands firmly clasped behind back Teal'c smirked. "To the commissary. SG-1 is sharing a final meal before our downtime begins."

"Sounds like fun." His voice was only slightly mocking.

"Indeed." Teal'c inclined his head towards his old friend.

The rest of their journey progressed smoothly as O'Neill deftly and summarily disregarded all salutes that were intended for him.

* * *

><p>Immediately upon entering the mess hall Jack was tugged into a side conversation by two bureaucratic subordinates about requisition forms. Teal'c waited patiently by the side- continually assessing the movements and conversations of people present.<p>

It was a gentle hum, as usual.

Jack thought it was strange that Teal'c paused and waited with him as the Sergeant and the Major gnawed his ear off since SG-1 always sat at the same table but in retrospect he understood. If Teal'c had been a man of words he would have said something to _actually_ warn him instead he just remained by his side.

In retrospect maybe Teal'c had been trying to show him something, or warn him. But the bottom line was he was more interested in the activity around him that his teammate was keeping his universal eye on.

So Jack followed his lead and took a moment to look around but he didn't really know what to do with what he saw.

* * *

><p>Daniel he saw first. A grinning, laughing Daniel who, it seemed, was flirting with the dark haired women in front of him. Vala apparently, but definitely a healthier Vala- a Vala who had put on the requisite healthy weight and whose eyes weren't shifty. She leaned back slightly, over her shoulder, and mock whispered something that made him throw back his head in a clear chortle. Shaking his head Daniel placed his hand on the small of her back and good-naturedly guided her in the direction of SG-1's table.<p>

Already at the table were Sam and Cameron. They were sitting across from each other and projecting an atmosphere that screamed no one else mattered. They were in a deep discussion and while it looked heated it obviously wasn't a fight, a bicker maybe or a squabble.. Sam shook her head, the tip of her braid shaking a little, and smiled. Cameron leaned back in his chair a smug smile falling into place. She leaned forward and stole some food off his plate and wrapped her lips around the fork a thoroughly naughty look on her face.

* * *

><p>Jack excused himself quickly from the conversation with a finger held in the airmen's direction.<p>

"Ah Teal'c?" The Air Force General smoothly transitioned the three steps over to his alien friend.

"Yes O'Neill?"

"What's going on here?" He waved a hand in the direction of the tables.

Teal'c frowned. "I do not understand your question O'Neill."

It had been so long that Jack couldn't even really tell what secondary emotion was playing out under Teal'c stoic mask.

"Right." He took the three steps back over to Montgomery and Rightner. "If you'll excuse me and take those, questions, to Landry- I'm actually here on other business." He preemptively nodded and moved back to beside Teal'c.

His friend looked down at him. "Are you alright?"

Jack paused. _Right, he could do this_- he knew his place in life. His sacrifices were all for the greater good.

He put his game face on and pulled down his class A's.

"Yeah, of course. Of course."

He smiled.

"Of course."

_Life didn't stand still. He could totally do this.. _


End file.
